Downpours and Disputes
by I'maMePanda
Summary: While Four Corners is looking a little "River Runs Through It" two of our boys wind up stuck in a downpour of the century and the rest are stuck in town, some going a little stir crazy, some starting to worry, and everyone's waiting for the unceasing rain to end. YP 'verse Story written by both me and MamaBear2Two
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everybody! Here's the first part of that short I was telling you about, which has transformed into a multi-chapter story. Both me and MamaBear are writing this A/N, just like we wrote the story. *dual waves* I'm honestly not sure what parts were written by who anymore, and most of the sentences are like Frankenstein's monster, pieced together from multiple parts. Google docs are great for collaborative efforts, fyi. MamaBear here! It's true! And, some of the story was even written in round robin form through emails! Busy schedules don't stop us! This all started with a three sentence plot bunny of the boys being stuck in a downpour as it rained for days here. I'maMePanda again, while I was dealing with 90+ degree weather and a little jealous, I'll admit, lol. This is a YP story not long after JD's 17th birthday (there will eventually be spoilers for 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, but I think we've all had plenty of time to get caught up on that) and we hope you enjoy it as much as we've enjoyed writing it.

*.*.*.*.*

*.*.*

.*.

Ezra stared at Vin's back through the water pouring off the brim of his hat, running rivulets down his forehead and into his eyes. It was useless to wipe at the wetness. His handkerchief was more than a little soaked and the rain gave no indication that it was going to let up, maybe everlastingly. His older brother urged his mount through the rain, Peso unbothered by the state of the weather. If only. Ezra glared at Vin's back again as he fought to keep Chaucer from darting under the few trees that dotted the landscape. "'Clouds will blow off by noon' was, Ah believe, your precise statement, Mistah Tannah. Your abilities, were perhaps a bit over aggrandized." Chaucer made a decidedly unhappy noise as Ezra once again kept his nose straight when he tried to veer off course. He held no blame toward the equine for his inclination, and if the tree cover had been a of sufficient density he would have been likewise inclined, but the thin desert growth had already proven itself unworthy of the task. Vin turned his head to the rear just long enough to give Ezra a scathing look, to which he just looked coolly back.

"Said should." Ezra barely heard Vin's remark as his older brother faced forward again, head bent against the driving rain that seemed intent on literally soaking them to the bone.

"What was that?" Ezra's demanding tone was washed away by the rain, but the way the older boy's shoulders hunched even more, told Ezra enough. "Most definitely did not say 'should'." Ezra grumbled to himself, pulling Chaucer away from another tree that looked like it could barely take care of itself in the storm. Another moment of them plodding along, going nowhere fast if you asked Ezra, had him calling out over the sound of storm raging around them, "Mr. Tannah, you said you knew of somewhere to wait out this...debacle...or was that a guess as well?"

Growling to himself about spoiled little brothers who thought they were gonna melt from getting a little wet, Vin ignored the streak of water that found its way underneath his collar, suppressing his need to shiver. "Less the rain can wash a cave away, it'll be there." He patted Peso on the neck, pleased for once that the contrary horse *liked* the rain. 'Course, as the ground got muddier, pulling at his hooves, that was sure enough gonna change.

Gritting his teeth and biting off a swear, Vin slid to the ground. Peso had slipped more than once coming down the side of this small hill, the mud so thick now, that it covered most of the horse's hooves in a gritty brown grime. While Peso didn't seem to mind the mud as much as the slipping, the heated words from behind him told a different story. Vin could barely hear them over the dull roar of a rain that just wouldn't quit, almost bouncing off the muddy earth as it hit. Choosing to ignore the fancy sounding cussing coming from his brother's mouth, Vin looked back and gave a nod of his head, pleased that despite his aggravation Ezra had followed his lead and gotten off the beast he called a horse. "Cave's up here."

"Finally," Ezra's crabby voice grated at Vin's last nerve, "Ah was beginning to imagine the cave _had_ been washed away-or more plausibly, the rain had washed away your ability to locate the shelter." If they'd been closer to town, or if the hill had been a little less steep Vin thought he might have shoved the holy terror that his brother had turned into right into the mud.

Nah. It wouldn't be worth Ezra's fuss.

Not yet, anyway.

Choosing not to respond Vin turned back to the front and just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and keeping an increasingly unhappy Peso at his side. The horse, his earlier enjoyment of the rain long gone, didn't want to walk up the slippery hill, and Vin had to jerk his hand away as Peso bent his head to snap irritably at the fingers holding his reigns. "Oughta sell ya t' a glue factory, ya damned mule," he muttered with halfhearted disgust as he tightened his hold on the horse. Peso's only response was a loud snort, not his questioning one, but a sound that held just as much disgust as his owner's voice had. He'd managed to get him another five feet up the trail, the rain whipping its way underneath his hide coat, when there was the sound of a slip and a smack on the ground behind him and a squeal of surprise from Chaucer. Forcing himself to whirl around slower than he wanted to so as to not startle Peso, he saw Ezra sprawled back in the mud-from the complicated and angry sounding words springing from his mouth he was alright enough, probably-and Chaucer dancing away from his legs, and then letting out a worried whinny. One good thing you could say about the haughty beast, he was as protective of Ezra as his brother was of him.

Vin supposed he should try to help, not that there was much he could do. Unable to let go of Peso, he held tight to the annoyed horse's reins, trudging slowly, and slipping every few steps, towards his fancy coated brother. Ezra was trying unsuccessfully, if not valiantly, to remove himself from the muck that once was dirt.

"Uncouth, unreliable, capricious...leading us into this lamentably arduous state of affairs!" Vin heard the words and, though he was unsure of the meaning of a couple, he was sure his brother was taking him to task. Eyes narrowing, not that the mouthy brat could see them, he took Chaucer by the bridle and urged him to step back. Unimpressed, the horse's head jerked twice against Vin's hold and the tracker heard his own mount making noises that could only be classified as annoyed.

Speaking in a soothing voice, despite his frustration with this whole situation, his brother, and even the jittery horses, Vin murmured, "Calm down now, an' soon ya'll be under an overhang. Got a bit of apple fer ya if ya quit fighting." He wasn't sure if it was the steady hold he kept on the reigns, the soothing voice, or that Ezra's claims that his horse understood most human speech were true, but slowly the stuck-up beast quit fighting him, though he huffed his breath out in a way that sounded scarily like Ezra's disgusted sigh. Vin wouldn't be surprised if Chaucer blamed him for the rain, too. Peso, irritated that Vin was paying attention to the other horse, nipped at the brim of his hat and sent a cascade of water down the front of his face, making him splutter and shake his head like a loon-he couldn't let go of either of the damned horses reigns to wipe his face properly. Growling, he carefully shifted Peso's reigns over to the hand that held Chaucer's and wiped a sleeve across his face with relief-only to realize it hadn't done much good at all, he was so soaked. His arm was just as wet as his face, and the rain just kept coming.

Vin heard a growing, rolling, chuckle then and felt his shoulders stiffen as he turned his glare on Ezra, who seemed to have forgotten all about the fact that he was wallowing in the mud like a pig, rain drumming on his unprotected face to laugh his backside off at Vin. "What are ya laughing at? Least I don't look like a swamp rat!" Ezra stopped laughing immediately, straightening up the best he could when he was still almost on his back, unable to get more than sitting before he'd slip back down, face turning sour again, like he tasted spoiled milk.

"Any detrimental effect on mah current wardrobe rests solely on your shoulders, Mistah Tannah!" Vin snorted, disagreeing with that, but before he could move on to thinking about how he was gonna get Ezra off his backside and hang onto the two horses, the little monster threw a handful of mud at him. It landed on his already mud sprayed knee with a splat and slowly began dripping down his pant leg, Vin's eyes watching it for a second then looking up at a far too pleased with himself Ezra. A smugly grinning Ezra. Vin took a tiny, threatening, step forward and the smug look mostly went away as Ezra went from trying to scramble his way up to trying to scramble back. Going nowhere fast, he could only look on in barely concealed alarm as Vin managed to look even more menacing with his next step forward.

"Less'n ya want a face full of mud, ya best keep yer trap shut." When Vin was sure Ezra was going to be quiet, at least for the moment, he took another step forward, taking a look around, hoping to spot anything that resembled a tree through the continual dense rainfall. The search turned up nothing and grumbling to himself yet again, he took one more step toward his mud covered brother. He dropped Peso's reins and stuck his nearly soaked through boot on top of the thick leather pieces, wincing as they were pushed into the mud and grime. Looking down at a wary Ezra, Vin stuck out his hand and waited for the other boy to grab it. His brother opened his mouth and Vin narrowed his eyes threateningly at him-he was just going to help him up if he kept quiet. If he didn't…

After a tense moment where Vin was half regretting his threat since Ezra was still looking at his hand doubtfully, like he thought it was going to bite him, he finally grabbed his palm and Vin gripped and pulled, heaving him to his feet and not letting go until he was sure he was steady. Vin caught his brother's eye and Ezra nodded in thanks.

Handing his brother the reins to a horse who was happily greeting Ezra, Vin took hold of Peso's reins from the middle and tugged them loose, grimacing at the muck that was covering the leather. That was gonna take ages to clean, and he could only imagine what Tiny would say if he saw it. Rubbing the back of a dripping wet hand over equally wet eyes, Vin glanced at Ezra and nodded his head towards a dark shape in the distance. From what he could see of the thoroughly soaked gambler, his brother still seemed tense and likely, Vin figured, downright annoyed, but when Ezra moved his hands up the reins to get a better hold on Chaucer, Vin knew he was about as ready as he could be. Pulling one booted foot out of the deceptively deep sludge, he led the way towards the only shelter he knew of within miles.

*.*.*

Pressing his face up close to the cool glass of the saloon's front window, JD could see the heavy downpour of rain hadn't changed in the five minutes since he'd last looked. The road through town was no longer dry and dusty, but a long mud filled mire. At least the horse he'd seen standing in the rain was gone, he thought with a heavy sigh. The young man headed back towards their regular table and plunked himself down in the wooden chair next to Nathan. He hit the table with an elbow on his descent, rocking Nathan's mug, the amber liquid sloshing back and forth. His older brother didn't say anything, but the look he gave him after looking up from a textbook that now had droplets over the top of one page had JD ducking his head, "Sorry, Nate...it's just...the rain..." JD waved a hand towards the front of the saloon, shrugging in defeat.

"Rain'll stop eventually, JD" Nathan replied, his fingers brushing gently at the top of the book.

"I know..." JD trailed off, looking towards the window. "Think Vin and Ezra are staying dry?" he asked, without looking back at Nathan.

"They're fine, JD."

"Maybe I should..." JD kicked back his chair, about to stand, when Nathan's hand landed on his arm.

"No, JD. Just, no."

JD tried to tug his arm away from Nathan's grip, but it was held firm, "Naaathannn...what if-"

"I said no, JD." JD scowled and looked away from Nathan's no fooling expression to glare up at the wooden ceiling instead. Just because Nathan was older-his brother's voice carried on, cutting off JD's gripe.

"You know you're just sick of being stuck inside anyway, nothing's wrong with them. I'm sure they found some shelter and are just waiting it out."

"You don't know that," he protested even as he slumped back in his seat, "Something could have happened."

"You almost sound hopeful," Nathan replied, letting go of JD's arm and turning back to his book, fingers brushing lightly at the damp specks again. "I'm sure Inez has something you could help her with if you're that bored."

Horrified, JD shook his head fiercely. He didn't want to work! He just didn't want to sit around anymore. Sitting upright a moment later, he leaned forward, "Nate?"

"JD?" Nathan glanced up long enough for JD to flash a hopeful grin.

"I'm going to go see 'Siah."

JD tried not to squirm as Nathan regarded him for a moment, then, eyes going back to his book, informed JD, "Good, you need something to do." JD grinned and jumped to his feet-Josiah would be good for a conversation, JD could tell him about that new book he was reading, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and since Josiah and Nathan had given him another Jules Verne book for Christmas he knew his oldest brother would like it-he might even want to borrow it! After JD had finished it, of course. It had all sorts of amazing inventions and science stuff that he was sure the preacher would find interesting.

"See ya later, Nate." Snatching up his hat, he turned on his heels and was halfway across the mostly deserted saloon, when Nathan's voice interrupted him.

"Get back here and put your slicker on. You trying to turn yourself into a puddle?" JD turned back sheepishly, and then frowned in confusion when he saw that Nathan's eyes were still trained on his book not looking at JD at all. "Well? You gonna just stand there?" JD shook his head, as he grabbed for his slicker, wondering just how Nathan did that. How'd he know...with another shake of his head, more important things on his mind, he haphazardly threw the slicker over his shoulders, shrugging into it and slamming his hat on his head as he moved back across the saloon.

"Stay dry, chiquito." JD nodded in response to Inez's call as he pushed open the bat wing doors, a cursory wave added before he disappeared from the darkened interior, out into the nonstop rainfall. JD stared at the sheets of rain coming down in front of him, wishing the boardwalk and the eaves went all the way to the church. Much as he didn't want to sit inside the stuffy old saloon any longer, JD didn't want to get drenched to his skin either. Pulling the slicker tighter around his shoulders as a gust of wind whipped the rain up onto the damp boardwalk, he nodded staunchly. He'd just have to make a run for it when he got to the end and then shake off the water on the church's porch so he wasn't dripping all over the inside. Mind made up, and just as bored with standing here looking at the rain as he had been looking at it through the saloon's window, JD turned on his boot heel and started down the walkway, boots sending up little droplets of water as they snapped down.

*.*.*

Buck stood in the doorway of the jail, watching the rain continue to turn the town of Four Corners into a swamp. A dreary, brown, mud ridden swamp. He squinted, trying to make out who in their right mind was leaving the saloon in the middle of the unending downpour. He'd have to have a word with Junior when he and Hoss got back. Boy had said "a little shower" may pass through. He hoped those two had got themselves somewhere dry. Buck snorted, as the wind whipped up, tossing water in all directions. "Close the door." Chris's grumble from behind him had Buck stepping back, but not before he looked again at the figure in front of the saloon who suddenly raced down the boardwalk and recognized who it was from the shape of the dang ridiculous hat.

"Kid, what're you doing?" escaped him just before he watched JD cross towards the church, head down against the driving rain. He sensed Chris's head coming up, curious and said half over his shoulder, "Boy was darting like a hare in a hurry over to the church." Chris snorted and bent his head back over the newest pack of wanted posters, combing through it for details. Buck didn't figure even a crook who was all the way out of his mind would be pulling anything on a day this miserable. He was bored himself, but even looking for a little company to wile the afternoon away was going to have to wait until the rain had let up a little.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello from the both of us! :) Thank you to the reviewers/favoriters/followers, you rock :) The explorer mentioned in here is totally made up, and the info about the animals is mostly from Wikipedia.

*.*.*

Vin tucked the horses as deep under the overhang as he possibly could with both the rain and now the wind making every move he made that much more difficult. Patting the horses one last time, the drenched and dripping wet saddle bags over his shoulder, he headed back to the cave entrance, stopping and staring in confusion that was quickly laced with a little vexation. What the hell was that crazy dandy doing now? Vin got them all the way to the cave and he was standing outside it letting the rain pound down on him. When he'd been complaining like he was dying the whole way here! "Ez," he said sharply, "what the heck ya doin'? Get inside."

Ezra regarded him with a look that was haughty enough to set Vin's teeth on edge, "Once Ah have completed the removal of the layer of unwanted nature that has affixed itself to mah form, Ah will gladly follow your excellent suggestion, Vin." Vin looked at Ezra for a long moment, mouth drawn, then with a shake of his head went around him and into the cave, figuring the chill and wet would make Ezra decide he was clean enough before too long. If not, Vin would just have to decide for him. As he stepped inside the cave, he tossed the saddlebags in a heap near the mouth, the simple lack of wind making him warmer as he looked out at Ezra again with a frown. He was fussy with his clothes, sure, but generally not to the point of being plain stupid. Turning to his own clothes Vin tried to shuck as much water as he could from them, ringing out his coat and shirt the best he was able with them still on. The water in his hat brim was dumped, on the ground this time. He almost started to pull off his boots, but then remembered his hard headed brother was still standing outside in a rainstorm and with a scowl left them on. Turning towards the back and the wider part of the cave Vin walked over to where it opened up to the side a few feet. Seeing the small stack of wood and brush he'd stashed around the bend in the cave last time he'd been here, Vin quickly checked a small pocket he'd found in the rock for the box of matches and relaxed a little. He could start a fire without them if he had too, but with his hands frozen from the cold it would be plenty hard. They'd be warm enough for awhile, now.

If Ezra would get his hide in the cave, anyway.

Moments turned to minutes as Vin readied the wood for a small fire and circled the tiny interior of the cave so many times he lost count. The tracker paused briefly, looking at the opening of the cave in expectation. Frowning when he saw neither hide nor hair of a little brother who by now had to look like he jumped in Ms. Nettie's pond, twice over, he started when he heard the unmistakable sound of thunder in the distance. Face darkening when his fool of a little brother still didn't appear, he made the decision. That had been plenty loud too, he thought as he marched to the cave's opening. It was the lightning that let you know how close it was, but it had still been plenty loud. Peering out through the sheet of rain he saw Ezra had taken his damn jacket off to rinse off where mud had gotten on the fabric inside, turning and lifting it to get every fold and pocket. In irritation Vin snapped out, "Ezra! The rain washed all the sense outta yer head?" Ezra hadn't even finished turning to face Vin and the sarcastic words were coming at him across the small rock ledge that levered the cave's entrance about two feet above the rest of the hill.

"If such a farcical notion were possible it would be your fault would it not?" Carrying on before Vin could do more than stiffen, he shook out the drenched jacket with a loud snap, as though it would make any difference, "As it is not, do not trouble yourself about it." Huh. Ezra was seriously trying to get under his skin like a burr stuck under Peso's saddle.

"It's thunderin' an' lightenin', an' ya should be inside dryin' off!" Vin growled out, "Get yer ass in here, Ezra."

"There was at least a four or five second interval between the lightning and thunder. You yourself instructed me that each second corresponds to a mile distance between ones location and the storm." Ezra looked as though he thought this settled the matter, and Vin was already planning to make it clear that it sure hadn't when the other boy muttered, in a whisper that Vin was sure he was meant to hear, "Though perhaps that knowledge should have been considered with a grain of salt." Growling deep in his chest, almost starting at how much he sounded like Chris, Vin marched out onto the craggy ledge, a small grin springing to his face at the look of surprise that flashed across Ezra's wet face. Without a word, Vin snagged the gambler's upper arm and turned, ready to drag his thick headed little brother out of the steady downpour.

"Unhand me! Ah have already informed yah of the rationale for mah delay in joining yah, this jacket will be soiled, disfigured if every speck of mud is not thoroughly rinsed off. Yah clearly do not understand the value of this garment." Vin, who'd looked up as he felt the raindrops start to sting, the already huge drops coming down rapidly, didn't hear Ezra's last sentence, more concerned with getting his younger brother inside than listening to him whine. Vin could tell just by looking at the soggy gambler that he was as cold and miserable as he was. He wondered why his brother was so intent on standing in the rain and wind over a coat when he had more back in town than Vin had clothes. No matter, he had no desire to explain how Ezra'd caught his death to Nate when they got back. He stepped forward and reached out to grab hold of the gambler's soaked arm again, determined to save them both from one of Nathan's lectures, but Ezra stepped back, keeping just out of reach. As lightning flashed again in the sky, the thunder coming three seconds later showing the storm was moving fast, and Ezra staying as stubbornly defiant as he had been, Vin fixed his eyes on that jacket. Hand shooting out, he yanked it away from Ezra with a snarl and flung it as hard as he could towards the cave, it sailing in as Eza let out a horrified screech, like Vin had tossed away his precious Ivanhoe.

"Yer coat's in the damn cave, yer turn." He heaved at Ezra's arm, but his solid for his size brother leaned back, refusing to budge. "Ez-ra." Vin ground out his brother's name in a tone so dark, he thought for sure the stubborn gambler would listen, and was shocked when instead, Ezra shoved him. Vin staggered back a half step, his grip on Ezra's arm pulling him with him as he slipped on the slick and muddy ledge. Ezra, seeing that Vin was losing his footing, pulled back again, though whether he was trying to keep him on his feet or just not get pulled down himself he wasn't sure. Glaring, rain streaking in front of his face and making it hard to grab anything, Vin readjusted his grip so he could yank Ezra towards the cave and out of the rain. Once he had his footing, he opened his mouth to snarl at him to quit his fighting when Ezra grabbed hold of his hand with frozen fingers and pried it off with force, shoving it and his arm back. Vin's boots slid back with Ezra's unexpected push, sliding across the rain soaked ledge like a deer on ice. Digging his heels into the rock, Vin stopped his backward motion, shoving back at Ezra without really thinking about what he was doing. Ezra's fancy boots reacted the same way, sliding, but the gambler managed a quicker retort than Vin had, one hand shooting out to shove again, hard, against Vin's shoulder. "Pigheaded brat!" Vin exclaimed as he stumbled back towards the cave, wet hair whipping at his face as a gust of wind blasted at them.

"Flea-bitten desert rat!" Fighting mad now, Vin gripped tightly to Ezra's water logged arm and gave a mighty heave, intending to get Ezra moving, so he could pull him into the cave for good, but the only thing that accomplished was Vin almost sliding forward smack into Ezra as the gambler set his weight firmly against the ground. Having enough, more than enough, he planted his feet squarely and quickly wrapped one arm around Ezra's back, hooking a foot behind Ezra's left knee, and gave one quick pull, grinning when Ezra's knee bent. With the arm around the younger boy's back, Vin tugged and Ezra stumbled forward, snapping things Vin pretended not to hear. It would have been a lot easier if the rain wasn't making his brother about as slick as a catfish. A quick glance over his shoulder, checking the distance to the cave through the falling sheet of water, proved to be a bad move, as Ezra used the moment to try to wrench free from Vin's hold. The unexpected jerk had Vin's foot skating across the ledge and this time, it was too far to recover. Within a second, Vin was slipping, unable to control his wayward feet, curses falling from his mouth like the raindrops from the sky. He felt his boots going out from under him and did his best to turn his fall into a roll, grunting as he hit the stone, the way he was tangled up with his brother not helping. The bumpy roll finally came to an end with them both sprawled across the mud ridden stone, Ezra's weight pressing him into it. Groaning quietly, Vin took stalk of the bruises and bumps he'd just collected, surprised when Ezra's frustrated voice jolted across his ears. "You did that deliberately!"

Staring up at Ezra in disbelief from where the still grumbling gambler was sprawled halfway across his chest, pinning him to the rock Vin snorted and tried to shove his brother off him. "Why would I want yer heavy ass fallin' on me?"

Ezra glared frustratedly down at him, but couldn't seem to come up with an answer, finally tossing off, "Ah haven't the faintest idea-perhaps the rain has finally driven us both mad." Vin blinked, more in an effort to get the excess water from his eyes than from what his brother had said, the tired sounding words making him quirk a grin as he gave another, gentler push, sending Ezra onto the rocky surface next to him.

"I reckon that might not be too far off, Ez." Vin started to push himself up, and after a moment Ezra did the same. With a glance, Vin realized that Ezra didn't notice how close he was to the drop off and was about to push himself right off it. He reached out to yank him away from it, and Ezra, expression bewildered, pulled back right as Vin's hand clamped on his shirt. They both went sliding over the edge, landing with a thump in the thick build up of mud below. Perfect!

"Well, isn't this familiar," Ezra breathed out, following it with a heavy groan. Vin, grateful that he'd at least landed on top this time, had to hide a snort and used the side of the ledge to roll himself off his brother without squishing him further into the mud. Landing in it with a plop he decided that it was time for a truce.

"Don't know 'bout ya, but I'm plumb worn out from this tusslin'." Moving to a sitting position as the thick sludge pulled at his clothes, he looked at Ezra, waiting on the younger boy's response.

"The unusual clash of our soused persons does seem to have sapped away most of mah vigor." Ezra's voice was grumbly, but in a placid way as he propped himself up first with an elbow and then heaved himself upright.

Watching as Ezra uselessly wiped at the raindrops shoving his hair into his eyes and plastering it to his forehead, Vin wondered if the gambler's hat was lost in the mud somewhere. Suddenly Ezra quirked his lips slightly and said, "In light of our current circumstances, Ah suppose Ah should be grateful for your previous unwanted attentions to mah jacket."

Vin threw a smirk at Ezra, "Unwanted attentions, huh? Weren't for me all that time you spent cleanin' it woulda been for nothin'."

Ezra rolled his eyes slightly, "Yes, yes, thus the extension of mah gratitude." Standing slowly as rain continued to pelt around him, glad the hail hadn't lasted but a minute, and keeping his feet solid and in one place under him, Vin looked at the ledge, which was just above his knees. Ordinarily it would be an easy jump but when they and it were this wet and muddy they were more likely to wind up smacking right back down into the mud than anything.

Turning to Ezra, he held out his hand. "Ya gonna come in now?"

Ezra spluttered for a moment, clearly debating another biting retort, then gave a huge sigh, accompanied by a nod of his head. "Indubitably." Ezra grabbed hold of Vin's outstretched hand and let Vin pull him upright, doing his best to keep his feet under him. Once Vin knew Ezra was about as steady as either of them could be, he released his hand and turned around. Using the ledge as a guide, he led the way back up and around the mud slick trail, carefully maneuvering through ruts and around rocks the rain had uncovered in it's harsh pelting of the earth. He heard a small grunt behind him and cocked a head over his shoulder in time to see Ezra pushing away from where he'd slid right into the side of the ledge. "Careful."

Ezra looked at him in annoyance, mouth opening as though to snap out a comment, only to close again after a moment, nodding slightly as he did. "I will strive to do so. This quagmire has unsettled the ground so that it is hardly as though we are on terra firma." Figuring that terra firma was some fancy word for the earth, Vin watched to make sure Ezra had his footing. Confident that he wasn't going to be falling on anything in the next minute or two he headed forward again. A few more treacherous steps and they were at the spot where it went from a ledge to a slope. Slippery, but no less passable than earlier, especially if you used the rock face to the side to keep your balance. Sticking his foot on the slope and bracing himself on the rock wall, Vin pulled himself up with relief and walked carefully to the mouth of the cave, hearing Ezra behind him. As they stepped into the hollow, he sighed. It may be cold and dark in the rock cavern but it was dry, and with any luck they'd have a fire soon. It'd be small and the wood would only last a little bit, but it was more than they'd had in hours.

Looking back at Ezra, who'd snagged his hat somewhere along the way, but not put the mud covered thing on, Vin said, "Should probably take off yer boots, I don' know 'bout ya but there's water swishin' in mine." Ezra set his hat near the entrance and murmured something about valuable advice, but instead picked up and inspected his coat. Vin grit his teeth slightly, then let it go with a shake of his head. Ezra was just peculiar about his clothes, there was no getting around that.

Leaning his back against the wall so he wouldn't fall on his backside, Vin pulled and wrenched at his sodden boot, the damp leather stubbornly keeping his foot captive. Finally the first one popped off, his sock half going with it. Tipping the boot upside down water ran in rivulets into the cracks of the cave floor as Vin thumped on the bottom to get out as much as he could. Dropping the boot lightly to the ground, he repeated the process with his other foot, tugging harder when the boot simply refused to release its prisoner. "Once lit, the heat from the fire will aid in your footwear difficulty." Ezra's voice was quiet, almost…sad and Vin looked over at him, wondering if more than just being wet and cold was wrong.

Deciding not to press, Vin said, "Yea, ye're right, mite strange having one on an' one off, though." He smiled a little, but Ezra had looked away, busy wringing out the bottom of his shirt and didn't notice, only nodding to Vin's statement. Vin looked him up and down once, it easier without his jacket on to check him for anything more than the bumps and bruises their tussle had left Vin with. That was one thing that would hush Ezra up, for all he'd gripe his head off over over a splinter. Shrugging after a moment, and leaving Ezra to his fussing once he determined he was fine, Vin limped, one boot on and one off, to his saddle bags. He pulled out the gutted, fresh fish, wrapped in a scrap of cloth he'd found in his saddle bags, that they'd never had a chance to eat before the storm. Next, some beef jerky, a few apples and his canteen. Crossing back to where he'd been, Vin started at the loud pop that echoed throughout the cave and glared across at Ezra, realizing as he did, that the gambler had given the jacket another rough snap. A little annoyed because the younger boy could've at least warned him, he barked out, "Ezra!" Ezra looked up at him startled and when Vin gave him a pointed look, he raised an eyebrow, as though asking him what he was supposed to do about it now. Grumbling, he turned towards the teepee of wood and the brush stuffed underneath it, the box of matches sitting next to it. They'd both be a lot happier with a little bit of heat and light. And food.

Looking away from Vin, Ezra began carefully examining the specially tailored, dark cherry colored jacket once more, brushing bits of soggy leaves off the shoulder, sure they'd ended up there on the jacket's impromptu flight into the cave, Ezra sighed heavily. He was unsure the jacket would recover from the misfortunate adventure it had gone through. Maybe Mary would have some suggestions he thought, as he moved across the small space and retrieved his saddle bags. Setting them near, but not too close to the small fire Vin was working on, Ezra first pulled his canteen out and set it aside, then lay the bags flat, kneeling next to them and draping his coat neatly over the top, frowning when the sleeves were still laying on the floor. He didn't want to fold them on themselves or onto the jacket, as that would encourage mustiness, or, Lord forbid, cultivate mold. Picking them up he debated the matter to himself, not sure what his course of action would be, but well aware both that he probably looked ridiculous and that he certainly couldn't continue to hold them aloft indefinitely. The cave was devoid of any rocks or other materials he could use to elevate them. Just as he was concluding that they were unlikely to be in the cave for a prolonged enough time for mold spores to set in and that mustiness would be easier to launder away than dirt stains, the loud thwacking sound of wet leather smacking onto the ground next to him had him startling up straight, his weight no longer resting on his heels. Immediately he tried to act as though the motion had been purposeful, but Vin, already walking away, only called over his shoulder, "Ya can use that, prairie dog boy."

Almost too fatigued to keep his face from showing his slight annoyance against his will, Ezra responded, "Thank you kindly," as he grabbed the saddle bags and pulled them close, adjusting the jacket even as he quipped, "At least I don't adorn myself with the animal kingdom's version of a masked robber...racoon boy." Technically, he'd never witnessed his brother's racoon skin cap anywhere but hanging from the back of Vin's wagon, but such minor details were inconsequential.

*M7*M7*M7*

Sliding to a stop, mud splattering up his pants to his knees, JD darted up the steps to the church, stopping long enough to shake himself off just inside the doorway. He pulled the door open, grabbing his dripping hat off his head. Squinting as water ran from his hair into his eyes, he quickly stepped inside, a small oomph leaving him as he smacked into something solid.

"John Daniel?"

Taking a fast step back, JD shook his head, flinging water everywhere, and grinned up at the big man. "Hey, 'Siah!" Bemused, Josiah quirked a smile back at him, eyes looking down at the small circle of drips that was forming on the ground around him, even with JD having shaken like a dog to try and leave most of the wet outside. Still grinning, a little ruefully now, he shrugged, following it with a quick, "Sorry."

"That's alright, but now I'm thinking the church needs some coat pegs by that door." Holding his still dripping hat as he slid the equally wet slicker off his shoulders, JD moved around Josiah just slightly and tossed the slicker over the back of a pew. As he turned back to Josiah, the Preacher asked, "Have you been keeping busy with this rain, JD?"

Idly twirling his hat with one hand, little bits of wet dropping here and there, JD plunked onto the bench near his slicker. Giving a shrug and an exaggerated pitiful look in Josiah's general direction, JD half whined,

"Ain't nothing to do, 'Siah. Dang rain..."

Chuckling softly, Josiah moved to where the teen sat, leaning a hip against the pew in front of the dark haired youngster. "I always found that days like today were excellent for reading a book. Didn't you just recently receive a new one? Ezra's birthday present to you?"

Straightening up at Josiah's words, JD nodded, a grin replacing the grumpy look he'd been wearing. "Yes! And it's really nifty! It's by that same author as the book you and Nate got me for Christmas, only in this one they go down deep into the ocean instead of into the earth."

"I've always found Verne's works to be fascinating." Though, that they were far better in the original French, Josiah would keep to himself. "The ocean, hmm? And what brings this miraculous journey about?"

JD bounced a little in the seat, dropping his drenched hat next to him. "A sea monster! Well, the government sent them on a mission to find it, only instead of a sea monster, they found a submarine!" Pushing damp hair up from where it fell into his eyes, he continued, "Only at first they think it's a reef. One of the coral ones, you know? But a giant moving one!"

Looking dutifully surprised, Josiah said, "That'd definitely be a sight to see!" The preacher crossed his arms lightly over his chest and gave JD an encouraging smile, not that he needed it to carry on.

"Yeah, wouldn't it? Only it turns out it's not a reef, and then they think it's a narwhal! Have you heard about narwhals, Josiah? I only did when I read the book. Or krakens? Didja hear about them?" Cocking his head to the side with his question and relaxing into the pew for a moment, fingers drumming absently along the top, JD listened intently to Josiah's answer.

Nodding slightly, pleased with his interest, Josiah answered, "I have run across mention of them a few times. Kraken's in Tennyson's poem of course, and I briefly had in my possession some journals of an Icelandic explorer."

Forgetting all about his own book as his jaw dropped, JD asked, "Really? An explorer? What happened to the books? Did he discover anything amazing?"

Relaxing into what Ezra had dubbed his academic lecturer tone, Josiah explained, "Yes, Freydar Tviet was a Norwegian explorer in the late 1600's, his studies were on the traits of animals that live in extremely cold environments."

"Like penguins?" JD asked, straightening up in the pew.

"Well, actually yes, though today they've gone extinct. The Great Auk bird, which is a black and white flightless bird that lives near water, much like penguins, were found in many places including Iceland, and your own North Eastern coast and Tviet certainly saw them. Though his commentary on them was limited to a lament that people used their nesting period to take them as easy prey-for pillow down of all things." JD's eyes had widened a bit at the idea of penguins near his hometown, but Josiah saw his attention wander towards the window with his last sentence and supposed that was his signal to gain JD's interest again, with an exciting fact perhaps...still, Josiah couldn't leave the lecture unfinished, "Actually, I believe they were called penguins first, and then when explorers saw what we think of as penguins today in exploring the southern hemisphere, Antarctica, etc, they looked so similar they called them penguins as well and it stuck. But, we were discussing Tviet, and you had asked a question-his research was mainly focused on Iceland and the waters surrounding it, and he also spent some time in Greenland and Ireland. The journals had to be left behind when I moved on. But he discovered many amazing things, and though he wasn't the first to discover any of them he still added much to the knowledge that was there."

JD's eyes remained wide as he asked, "Things like narwhals?"

"Yes, though he only saw them closely once. Did you know they call them the unicorns of the sea?" JD nodded vigorously, face still alight with curiosity.

"Yeah, the scientist in the book calls the narwhals unicorns, 'cause they have that really long horn." Suddenly wistful, he murmured, "My mam always said she wanted to see a unicorn."

"Something I imagine many of us have imagined with delight over the years," Josiah moved himself off the pew he'd been leaning on, turning and settling himself onto the pew next to JD, facing his young brother's side until JD shifted sideways to see him better. "And the fairer of the sexes are so often told in legends that it is only them that unicorns will approach that I can see why it might become a lifelong wish." Josiah sighed slightly, remembering briefly a time when he had believed in unicorns, JD studying him curiously.

"You don't believe in unicorns, do you Josiah? My mam didn't either, not really, but she wanted too…used to tell me stories about them, and fairies, things like that, when I was a kid." Pleased that for all his wistfulness JD seemed to receive more contentment from the memories than longing, Josiah nodded, answering honestly even as he chose his words carefully.

"Not in the sense of a living, flesh and blood creature, no, but the idea of a unicorn-innocent nobility, the healing power of a pure heart, mysteries beyond what man is meant to comprehend, that I believe in. There are some

things a person needs to believe in, even if they aren't really factual, men and women. And a mother knows that all children deserve a few years to believe in fairyland." Seeing that JD's eyes threatened to spark with tears, the lad doing his best to hide a small sniff, he carried on, a little hastily. "And a good book can take us back there. How exactly did the explorers in your book figure out that their sea monster was a submarine?"

JD swallowed before he started talking, but he was only a word or two in when the excitement caught up to him again, "Well, the whole reason they were supposed to go after it in the first place was that it was attacking things, downing ships and stuff, and so the U.S. government sends them all out, including this one whaler guy who thinks that it being a giant narwhal is completely stupid, and Arronax and him have all sorts of conversations where he tries to convince him, and Ned laughs at him, but without actually laughing, like Ezra does sometimes, you know?" Trying not to laugh out loud himself, because he knew exactly what JD was talking about, Josiah nodded, unable to help the chuckle that escaped. JD grinned before he continued on, "Only then they see it and it really looks like one, like a giant narwhal? And it's glowing, which makes no sense, narwhals don't glow-though," JD trails off for just a second, eyes alight, and Josiah was certain his mind was full of the possibilities of brightly glowing sealife, "And they run from it, 'cause the captain doesn't want to attack at night, and everybody's scared, and excited too, 'cause they think they discovered a new kinda whale. Then, Ned tries to harpoon it, and the harpoon bounces off, and it starts attacking them! It spouts water so hard it knocks the main guy into the ocean! And…"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hi guys :) Little longer than I expected, real life and all, but me and MamaBear have another chapter for you guys to enjoy. And I certainly hope you do enjoy it, we had fun writing it. Thank you to everybody who reviewed the last chapter, I forwarded all of them to her and we celebrated :). And if you haven't checked it out yet, a new chapter of MamaBear2Two's Band of Brothers, where a teenage Josiah is journeying west and picks up the others boys as strays along the way is out. It is really good, I highly recommend it :)

*.*.*

"Don't know about you, pard, but I'm dyin' for a drink." Buck peered down at his brother from his perch on the corner of the desk, wondering how Chris could still be looking through the stack of wanted posters. His feet hadn't moved off the top of the desk for at least an hour. He swore the man had spent about five minutes all but memorizing each one-no wonder JD was trying to form an encyclopedia of them in his head. Chris slowly looked up from the wanted poster for Albert 'Hacker' James and eyed Buck consideringly.

"Ain't nothing stopping you from getting one." Buck snorted, not at all offended at the dry answer.

"And leave ya here to dry away to dust? Wouldn't be right." Chris heaved a sigh and wondered what he'd done to get stuck with a bored Buck hanging around today.

"You ain't gonna leave until I do, are you?"

"Nope, and I'm not gonna shut up neither." He grinned broadly then, the corners of his eyes crinkling up as an idea came to him, "Hey, I heard some good jokes from the kid earlier-Why don't ducks ever grow up?"

Chris stared at Buck, almost, but not quite glaring, his lips firmly pressed together. Shoving the wanted posters to the side, he swung his feet off the desk, standing up and kicking back the chair. He'd been staring at Bert James ugly mug for so long he'd probably see it when he slept. Firmly ignoring Buck's snickering, he moved across the room to grab his hat and duster, slipping the long jacket over his shoulders. He waited until Buck was pulling on his own to open the door, Buck's cheerful and far too pleased with himself voice following after him, "It's 'cause they grown down-ain't that just awful?" The tall man chortled to himself as he swung the door shut behind him, Chris already considering shoving the day's neckerchief-grass green-in Buck's mouth if he didn't shut-up on his own.

*.*.*.*.*

Nathan drummed his fingers on his book, knowing he'd read this page at least twice already and equally certain that he'd absorbed none of it. Truth was, while he hadn't been about to tell JD, he was a little worried about Vin and Ezra too. Not too much at first, Vin should be able to get them to some shelter the way he'd practically memorized the land around Four Corners. As the rain carried on, and Nathan wondered just how wet and cold they'd been by the time they got to shelter, it was creeping in, making him restless. It had been easier to believe the reassurances he was telling himself when he'd been saying them to JD. Now that the kid wasn't here for him to look confident for worry was barging in. They hadn't exactly been prepared for rain, and definitely not for a storm, wouldn't even have their slickers with them.

Vin knew what he was doing and Ezra was tougher than he looked. Nathan knew that. Still, the way those two could find trouble...sometimes he was tempted to wrap them, maybe all of them, in cotton wool, just to save himself the trouble of patching them up again. Shaking his head as he looked out the window at the rain that had barely slowed down, Nathan reminded himself that there really was nothing he could do. They were probably just fine, maybe wet and cold, but either way, he was stuck here. Forcing his eyes back to his book, which really was fascinating, describing in detail both the symptoms and treatment of several more unusual disorders of the innards, Nathan shifted his shoulders slightly trying to get comfortable.

Heck, what he needed was a drink. Something a little stronger than the beer he'd been nursing for the better part of an hour. Closing his book with a sigh, Nathan shoved back from the table and crossed to the bar, smiling wanly as Inez came to the bar. "Hola, Nathan. You look troubled."

"Oh, I'm fine, Inez. Could use a drink of something strong, though." Giving him a knowing look and a slight shake of her head, Inez moved down the bar and grabbed a bottle and glass from under the counter, Nathan's smile turning a little sheepish as she spoke, teasing a little.

"It is you now who is saying 'I'm fine' when you are not. When you are always scolding your hermanos for it." She arched an eyebrow at him as she poured, amber liquid filling the bottom.

"Well, don't tell them I said so, but Josiah says I'm as disagreeable a patient as any of them, so I suppose that's about right." He grinned a little as he said it, sliding his hand around the cool glass and pulling it towards him.

"The healer does not like being told how to heal himself?"

"Something like that." Nathan shifted so his side was leaning against the bar a little more, facing towards Inez, "'Course, Josiah gets pretty crabby himself if he ain't feelin' good."

That got an amused smile from Inez, who nodded, and said, "I remember when he had that terrible cold-he was like a grizzly, and not just from his scratchy throat. Hopefully it is a long time before we have Senor Oso Pardo here again." Nathan laughed, glad he hadn't taken a drink yet as he moved the glass towards his lips. Fixing her eyes on him, Inez quietly intoned, "You have not said what was troubling you yet."

Getting the feeling that unless he was rude enough to walk away from the bar she wouldn't let him alone about it, Nathan nodded, agreeing with her that he hadn't. He took a swallow off his glass, the whiskey warming his gullet and stomach, a welcome change from the chill the rain had put in the air, set it down again, and admitted, "Worrying on how wet and cold Ezra and Vin are. Ain't nothing we can do, rain will've washed away any sign of their trail even it weren't plain foolish to think on going anywhere right now. Don't want them trying to make their way home in this either, but if this storm keeps up 'til it's dark I don't want them spending the night who knows where."

"I too am worried. When JD told me they were out, I was hoping they would have been close enough to make it home soon after the rain started, but it's been hours so they must have found shelter. If they could not they would have returned home."

"Unless one of them fell and cracked their head open. Or if the horses got spooked and ran off-they wouldn't be riding them to get thrown in this, but they'd be stranded. Neither of those boys would want to come home without their horse, neither." Nathan grumbled it all sourly, trying to act like he was more annoyed at the possibilities than worried. Maybe he could convince himself.

"Now you are just, what does Miz. Nettie say?-yes, borrowing trouble." Inez shook her head, "I'm sure your brothers will be alright."

"Yeah, guess I am. And I know you're probably right-but these are the ones who played tag on the roof. If there is trouble, they'll find it." Inez shook her head at the memory and then shrugged out a hand to each side.

"Will worrying on it make it better?" If it had been one of his brothers Nathan might have rolled his eyes at the obvious question, but with Inez it seemed too rude. Plus, he'd seen her backslap more than one mouthy cowboy, and wasn't going to push it. Instead he sighed and shook his head, admitting no ruefully.

"Knowing that doesn't keep you from doing it, though."

"That is true. But maybe talking with your hermanos will help?" Inez smiled and looked over Nathan's shoulder. The healer turned to see which of his brothers she was looking at, just in time to have Buck's big paw of a hand come smacking down on his shoulder with a friendly clamp.

"We can sure try-what's troublin' ya, Doc?" Rolling his shoulder a bit, but not succeeding in dislodging Buck's hand, Nathan sighed a little as Inez poured and handed the big man a beer. Chris sidled up on his other side, not crowding as close as Buck, and with a quiet word to Inez had a glass of whiskey in his hand. Nathan could see him looking sideways at him, though, and knew there really would be no getting away without hashing it out again. Not like it would do much good-couldn't a man just worry in peace?

"Starting to worry this rain ain't gonna stop and Vin and Ezra will be stuck out there for the night." The shadow that passed over Buck's usually cheerful face at that didn't help much, or the way Chris's lips tightened for a second before he tossed back half his drink.

"Best thing they can do is stay put 'til it stops." Nathan nodded-he knew that, if they came dragging in soaked and shivering after forcing their way through this he'd be wondering where their sense had ran off to, but logic didn't have much to do with a man's worries. Buck, cheerful again, or at least acting like it, pulled Nathan slightly away from the bar in the direction of their table.

"And the best thing we can do is stay dry and wait for 'em, so we're all fresh as daisies if they come in worse for wear or we gotta go lookin' for them in the morning." Directing a friendly grin at Inez, and then ruining it with a waggle of his eyebrows, Buck offered, "Seeing as you don't seem to be too busy in here, the beautiful Senorita could join us?"

Inez scoffed, picking up a discarded bar rag from the wooden surface and flicking it over her shoulder. "No, gracias-the beautiful Senorita is going to go in the back and take a break, far away from you." The emphasis she put on the you made it clear that the comment was directed solely at Buck, who shook his head in mock mourning.

"Just can't stand for anyone to know you like me-that's okay, darlin', I know." Inez glared again, muttering uncomplimentary things in Spanish as she turned towards the kitchen, but Nathan had to admit, he did see her lips quirk towards a smile. Probably the only reason Buck hadn't taken a broom whack upside the head.

"Buck…" Chris said with a sigh, shaking his head as he turned around, but it was all he said until all three were ensconced at the table, Nathan having shrugged out from Buck's hand, but followed along, "you ain't careful, one of those days you're actually gonna piss her off."

"Nothing wrong with a fiery woman," Buck declared settling himself in his chair with far more fuss than necessary, Nathan having retaken the seat his book lay in front of and pulling it away from where Buck's beer was sloshing in its cup.

"What about when she's firing at your head?" Chris let the words crawl out of his mouth languidly as he gazed across the table, the two older men exchanging a look that Nathan thought was nearly as amused as it was reproachful on the gunslinger's part, and entirely amused on Buck's.

"A man just has to know how to duck, doesn't he?" Buck winked outrageously, and Chris glared a little. Nathan almost laughed, only he half wondered if Buck was serious. "Hey, Nate, you know what JD was running over to the church for earlier?"

"Kid was so bored he was roaming around the saloon like a caged wildcat and wishing for trouble. When I told him he couldn't go look for Vin and Ezra in the middle of a storm he decided to go visit with Josiah instead." Nathan grinned a little at the end of his sentence and Buck let out a laugh.

"Least he's not still jabberin' at you about being bored."

"Nope, now 'Siah can listen." Nathan opened the book, flipping to the last page he'd read, carefully pulling his chair closer as he did. His attention drifted down as his eyes caught on a sentence and a diagnosis he was unfamiliar with, his curiosity pulling him in.

"Man's got the patience of a saint." Buck agreed, kicking the chair nearest him out a bit and resting his booted feet on the seat.

"Needs it with JD." Chris murmured, his gaze leveled on his mug. Nathan gave a grunt of agreement, though he didn't look up from the medical tome he was once again absorbed in. Good Lord, he wouldn't have imagined even bile could be that color. He hoped the writer was taking that 'creative license' Ezra was always talking about, because that just wasn't natural. He vaguely heard Buck mutter something along the lines of not needing to distract him after all, but didn't bother to respond at all this time. He had a tea that was good for taking toxins out of the body, one he'd cobbled together from what he remembered of his Mama's recipe and some things he'd picked up along the way. Nathan knew it worked well for slow kidneys, but he wondered if it might help purge the liver too...

M7*M7*M7

Sniffing at the air in appreciation, the delectable scent of fried fish made Ezra's stomach nearly roar with desire. The gambler pulled his saddle bag close, careful not to upset his jacket, and fished around inside the damp leather, retrieving two plates and silverware with a triumphant grin.

Turning the stick the fish were stuck on, Vin looked across the fire at Ezra, a look of incredulity on his face. "Ya brought dishes?" The older boy's voice was tinged with more humor than Ezra thought the situation warranted. Too tired and hungry to nitpick about it though, he simply nodded.

"There's no reason not to use dishware to partake of a meal, as we are gentlemen." Well, with his aid Vin was farther towards that point than when they had first become acquainted, certainly.

Vin snorted, shifting to sit cross legged in front of the fire. "Whatever ya say, Ez." Both young men stared hungrily at the almost done fish, four big pieces sizzling on the long branch Vin had saved from the kindling. Ezra was tempted to relate to his brother that he preferred his fish rare, despite the lack of accuracy that would be present in such a claim, when Vin nodded once, decisively, and lifted the stick from the fire. He lowered it over one laid out plate first, Ezra moving with his knife and fork to slide them onto the plate. Then, despite his hungry impatience, he did the same for the two fillets going on Vin's plate. His handkerchief already resting on his bent knee, Ezra picked up the plate and began eating with what may have been undue haste, but he felt the circumstances allowed it. The trout was soft, and moist, slightly charred, and possibly the most delectable meal of which he had ever partaken. Far too quickly it was gone, and as delicious as it had been Ezra was grateful he still had his apple for 'dessert' later. Wiping his hands on his handkerchief, he set the cleaned plate beside him and relaxed back as much as he could.

A crunching noise raised a smile on his face, a glance showing him Vin already partaking of an apple. He had gifted one to Ezra as well, but although he was still hungry he elected to wait at least a few minutes in the hopes that he would soon feel fuller as his meal settled. Having seen Vin's supplies as he laid them out, he knew that only one apple remained besides his own and a meal's worth of beef jerky. He had a wax bag of peppermints for Chaucer in his saddle bags that had held up to the deluge that could be contributed to their bounty, but they'd eaten the bacon rolls he'd procured from the restaurant on the ride out, and if they were required to stay here overnight it would make a scant breakfast.

"Now that our imminent demise from lack of sustenance has been delayed, how does a game of chance sound?" The gambler pulled his saddle bag close and stuck his hand into the the depths once more.

Vin saw the frown cross his brother's face before the younger boy had even removed his hand from inside the leather bags. The wet mess of cardboard the gambler pulled from his saddle bags explained the look.

"Damn, I coulda gone fer a game too." Ezra went from looking at the mess in his hand to looking at his brother in disbelief. Then, to Vin's surprise, he snorted. He stopped immediately-snorting wasn't 'dignified', and if you called him on it Ezra would insist until you shut-up and took it back, long after teasing him stopped being fun, that he hadn't. Didn't keep Vin from grinning at him knowingly or Ezra from giving him a half hearted scowl back.

"Being as even Ah did not bring mah money fishing Mistah Tannah, Ah suppose it is no great loss." The gambler began to lay the cards across the cave floor, Vin figured so they'd dry out, though what his younger brother planned to do with them after that, he hadn't the foggiest notion. The cards weren't just wet, the ink was running and smudged up, and he was halfway sure they'd dry crooked, but he knew better than to poke the bear when it came to 'games of chance'.

"Ya done cleaned me out last night anyway," Vin said with a little chuckle. Unfurling his long legs, the tracker stood up and headed towards what was left of the small stack of firewood, selecting a couple of small branches and returning to the fire with them.

Ezra watched Vin as he encouraged the fire to grow, his disinterest in the complete lack of stimulation inside the large rock chamber growing every few seconds.

"So, what is it you do out here?" Ezra shifted to lean against the cave wall and waited for the tracker to answer.

Silent for a few seconds, Vin finished his tending of the fire and dropped back down, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands.

"Ya know most of it, hunting, fishing. Keep up my tracking skills. And," Vin yawned, his full belly making for a sleepy tracker, "there's some places that are good for cliff scaling." Shifting back so he was pressed against the cave wall, he half groaned, half grinned, as he sensed Ezra becoming a lot more interested in what he was saying. Hell, he probably shouldn't have said that…"Quiet's nice. Rest a you get so loud a man can't hear himself think."

The redirect didn't work, Ezra avoiding the bait dangled in front of him for an easy argument over whether he was one of the loud ones, to ask him, his eyes dancing, "Cliff scaling? Am ah to assume that is exactly what it sounds like, Vin?"

Lifting his head from where he'd let it slouch to give Ezra a warning look, he muttered, "Maybe...ya don't need t' go talkin' 'bout it, hear?"

Mischief glittering in his eyes, Ezra said in a valiant attempt to sound offended, "Ah am not a teller of tales, not those you don't want say, our own bad element, Mistah Larabee, to overhear."

Squinting at him from under the drying hair that kept flopping into his eyes like it would help him know if his brother was serious or not, Vin grunted after a minute and let his head lull back against the stone and his eyes slide shut. Ezra sure better not let Chris overhear him saying nothing.

*.*.*


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey everyone! This is I'maMePanda and MamaBear2Two here, bringing you another chapter. The rain is still making a soggy wet mess of everything in Four Corners, but the end is in sight. We hope you like this compilation of ideas and stitched together sentences as much as we liked writing it. One more chapter, and this little adventure will be wrapped up. All knowledge of woodworking was taken off of a variety of Q&A and woodworking forums found through google search, and we can only hope it's sort of accurate. The Kiowa word for father was found through a similar search, but as one is a now non-maintained facebook page and the other was an answer on one of those make your own flashcard sites we're again mostly hoping for accuracy. Thanks to everybody who reviewed the last chapter, we really appreciate it. Getting reviews is as awesome as free pizza and rainbow colored unicorns :)

Happy reading!

*.*.*.*.*

"So...you gonna tell me why ya were so worried 'bout that coat?" Vin didn't move as he heard Ezra start just a bit, and then hesitate. Fact that he didn't spout off an excuse right away meant he didn't want to share the story, but he also hadn't figured anyone would ask if he didn't have one on the tip of his tongue.

"It is a fine coat, an expensive piece of haberdashery in a shade that is hard to acquire. What other reason would Ah need to invest in its upkeep?"

"Bull." Weren't no way Ezra would stand in the rain for so long just because he liked his coat. Vin had been thinking on it off and on since they got in out of the wet, and was sure of that.

"Ah resent your implication that mah words have been less than true. Perhaps mah enthusiasm for maintaining mah jacket's stain free existence grew slightly out of hand, but it does not mean there is some drawn out sentimental story attached to it." Vin just kept looking at him and Ezra grew silent, and after a minute, redirected his gaze pointedly to the fire, sullen. Deciding waiting him out was probably best for now-though the fact that Ezra wasn't laughing at the idea was already proof to him, Vin maintained his stare and waited. Finally, growing frustrated that what would have worked on anyone else didn't seem to bother Ezra a bit, he turned his head tiredly towards the flames. Getting home was looking better and better.

After awhile the fire started dying down a bit. Vin poked the coals and what was left of the wood closer together, then rose to his feet as he crossed to the small wood pile and gathering a few of the larger pieces. Get them warmer for awhile, anyway. His hair was mostly dry now, but his shirt and pants were still damp, and the socks he'd laid out to dry near the fire only dry in patches. He'd been keeping his feet up near the fire, but just a few steps away from it had the chill creeping back in. Back at the fire, he added one of the pieces he held to the soft blaze, setting the others near his feet. Vin sighed when he felt the heat begin to warm his toes almost immediately. He stood there a moment, watching the gambler as his younger brother sorted through the cards laying on the floor in front of him. "Think I'll see if the rain's let up some." A little concerned that the only response he received was a short nod, Vin frowned. Deciding it was better to just go and get checking the rain and get back to sit in the warmth than to puzzle over the gambler who was poking in annoyance at his cards-drying crooked and bent, just like Vin had thought-he headed towards the entrance.

The slightly brighter light than had been there earlier gave him some hope they wouldn't be stuck here overnight, even though he could hear it was still raining. Bending down so he could peer out at the sky when he got to the opening without wetting his head, Vin looked at it in a mixture of consternation and satisfaction. The storm was lightening, no doubt of that, but he thought it was going to be at least another hour or two before it stopped for good. Oh well. Least they'd be drier by then. Just as he was going to turn around to report this he heard the shuffling sounds of Ezra, who'd kept his socks on, coming up behind him. He stopped to the side of Vin and stared out at the rain with his lip curling slightly. "Should be done in an hour or two, can head home."

"Thank all that is good and decent," Ezra muttered, voice going distant as he stared out at the rain. Vin wanted to go back and sit by the fire, but the look that was stealing over Ezra's face made him wonder if he was gonna dart back out in the rain. Stupid thought, probably, he didn't have a reason to, but Vin stayed, watching the rain, and now and again his brother. Stupid to stand here, letting his toes freeze and breathing in cold air when they could be back by the fire that was going wasted. But he stayed.

Vin straightened, looking at Ezra who was still staring out in the rain, and decided he was just gonna shake his shoulder a little and tell him to come and sit by the fire. If Ezra was as confuddled as he appeared he might just follow him. Before he could though, Ezra started speaking without ever moving his gaze from it's blank stare, "Mah Grandmothah Cecilia gave me that jacket. It was mah Grandfathah's, though he only wore it once or twice before...it was far too big for me when she gave it to me, but I carried it for years. Not long before Ah came here, Ah had a stroke of good luck." In between a whole lot of bad luck, Vin knew. "It allowed me to have a skilled seamstress remake the jacket in the latest style. It had gone too long sitting at the bottom of a carpet bag." With sudden fierceness a stark contrast from the blankness of his earlier words, he swore, "Ah will keep it always."

And Vin had thrown it on the ground.

There was nothing in Ezra's voice to say that he resented Vin for it, nothing to show that he'd stomped on a piece of his past, but Vin thought of how he would feel if someone acted like that with his harmonica and swallowed. He hadn't known, and Ezra wasn't angry, not anymore, but Vin knew enough to know it had to hurt. He reached out a hand and rested it on Ezra's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go sit by the fire." Nothing for a moment and then a small nod. Vin stepped away, letting his hand drop, and starting to walk back towards the flickering light, giving Ezra space to follow after him and figuring that he would. A few steps later the sound of shuffling let him know he was right.

The fire was still burning hotly and after standing by the opening it felt incredibly good to settle down by its flames, holding his cold hands over them. Ezra was leaning close to the flames too, but his hands were resting on his bent knees. A check of his socks found them dry, and even though he was still worried about Ezra, Vin grinned as he pulled the fire warmed socks up over his cold feet. Curling his toes into the heated fabric, Vin's eyes strayed to the apple and jerky lying by his pack. "Ya still hungry? Don't gotta save it anymore." For a second Ezra didn't answer, then he nodded.

"I suppose I could partake…"

"Pass me yer apple then." Vin pulled his knife out of his pocket, setting to work on coring his own. Been awhile since he had roasted apple, but it was always tasty. Eyes slightly more curious than they had been Ezra watched Vin slide his now cored apple onto his roasting stick and then passed his apple over, Vin holding the stick between his knees as he worked on the second apple. Done, he folded the knife and put it back in his pocket and then held the apples over the flames, turning the stick slowly every few seconds. "Ya know, I lived with my grandpa for about a year after Mama passed, 'til the fever took him too. Was good t' me though, that year. Mama gave me my harmonica, and it used to be Pa's, but it was Grandpa who started teachin' me t' play it."

Softly, Ezra said, "Grandmother Cecilia taught me to play the piano."

Vin grinned softly at him and said, "She musta been better at the piano than Grandpa was on the harmonica, 'cause you're pretty good."

That surprised a laugh out of Ezra, "Ah think mah instructor had longer to impart her knowledge on her pupil than yours did."

"Yeah, but much as I loved 'em all, I'm pretty sure he only knew about five songs. Play'd 'em whenever I'd ask though, if he weren't workin'".

Silence reigned for a few seconds, both boys staring at the fire, both thinking on their shared pasts. Another moment passed, and Vin brought the roasting stick out from over the fire, checking on the apples.

"They smell wondrous." Ezra offered.

Vin grinned at the gambler, "Taste even better," he said, handing one over to a still curious looking Ezra. Gently tossing the apple back and forth from one hand to the other to cool it off, he brought it to his lips a second later, grinning as he watched Ezra do the same.

"Your culinary skills are quite outstanding." Ezra remarked, a third of his apple already gone. Vin snorted around the apple in his mouth.

"I think the boys would beg to differ. Just trail cookin'." Hunger and silence reigned except for the sound of crackling wood and chewing mouth for the next couple of minutes, wrapped up in the unexpected treat.

"Speaking of our compatriots, and their propensity for worrying, how much longer do you think the rain will hold us captive?" Ezra picked up one of his fancy boots and began to examine it, turning it upside down and reaching inside, "Excellent, almost dry!" the gambler exclaimed softly.

"'Bout an hour, most likely." Vin replied, polishing off his last bite of apple and using the roasting stick to poke at the fire a bit.

Groaning, Ezra let his boot drop back to the floor in front of him, then reached to gather the scattered cards. They were dried, but bent, and seeing the dissatisfaction crawl back onto Ezra's face, he offered, "Maybe we could play that game now, if they ain't too ruined."

Ezra held the cards in one hand and thumbed them with the other, and despite the small grimace that crossed his face at the poor way they moved, he nodded. "That would be most enjoyable." He suddenly grinned at Vin, "Bets could always be placed now and fulfilled at a later time."

Rolling his eyes so hard they about rolled to the floor, Vin shook his head no. "Have t' be a long time if I lose, already told ya I'm cleaned out."

Looking less disappointed than Vin had expected, making him suspicious, Ezra inquired, "Perhaps we could play for favors as an alternative?" Vin's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he considered it, then shook his head even though he could think of a few things that he wouldn't mind making the prissiest of his brothers do. He still remembered the 'favors' game they'd played a few months back when the town was dead and what JD of all people had made him do. He figured he'd probably die an early death if Buck ever found out it was him who put the polecat in his window. Man had gone round muttering about jealous jilted boyfriends, even though he was shooting suspicious looks at the rest of them too. "Well then Mistah Tannah, what shall we use to wager this afternoon?"

Wondering why they really needed to use anything to bet, but figuring Ezra would insist it was important, he cast his eyes around the cave. He smirked a little as his eyes fell on the pouch of beef jerky and looking back up at Ezra he said simply, "Jerky."

"Jerky?" Ezra questioned, sounding like he was wondering when Vin had cracked his head, and he nodded with a small grin.

"Jerky." He reached for and held up the small pouch, and then, Ezra still looking doubtful, grabbed the two plates sitting to the side and began dividing the pieces into two equal stakes. Done, he pushed one over to Ezra, who pulled it close with a reluctant grin.

"Jerky it is. One of, but not the strangest thing I have gambled with."

Unable to not ask, exactly what Ezra had intended, Vin prompted, "What's that, then?"

"Caviar." Ezra pronounced it like he expected Vin to be both impressed and shocked at that, but Vin was just confused.

"What?" He asked, watching as Ezra started trying to shuffle the cards, the other man nearly dropping the no longer slick deck as he seemed to hesitate over how to answer the question.

"Fish eggs, but-"

"What d' people want them fer? Bait?" Sounded like awfully messy business to Vin, using fish eggs as money.

"They are a delicacy, and a delec-"

"Ya eat fish eggs?" Vin asked in almost horror. He'd eaten his share a strange things- in fact, only meal he could ever recall turning down was Rocky mountain oysters, and when Nathan had had that farmer give him a whole mess of pig's feet to cook up, Vin had been asking him if he'd share in about two seconds-course, so had Ezra. But he hadn't ever heard of nobody eating fish eggs before.

"Yes, Vin, several times," Ezra's voice was exaggeratedly over patient as he spoke and Vin considered getting annoyed before deciding it wasn't worth it. "As I was saying, it is a delicacy," Vin snorted and Ezra glared, "and one Ah have always enjoyed."

Vin, who had always thrown any eggs that might be in a fish on the ground with the rest of the guts, said, "Huh. Always knew rich folks were crazy," and waited for Ezra to pass out the cards.

Giving him a haughty look, Ezra drawled slowly, "You eat snake."

Vin nodded, "Now snake, that right there is one of them delicacies. Wouldn't mind having me one of 'em right now."

A shudder ran over Ezra and tapping the floor of the cave between them, said "Ah am well aware of what classifies as gourmet, Mistah Tannah, and Ah can tell you snake does not meet the qualifications. Ante's one piece." As Vin dropped the required piece of jerky on the handkerchief Ezra had folded and laid down in between them, Ezra dealt the beat up cards, casting a glance at Vin before returning to the matter of the cards in his hands.

"Does for what tastes good."

Choosing to ignore the tracker in favor of taking a good look at his hand, a sly grin made its way across the gambler's face as he rearranged the cards he held, and waited for Vin's move. "About this cliff scaling, Mr. Tanner…?" Ezra murmured as he watched the older boy debate over the cards in his hands, pulling one out and then tucking it safely back into his hand. Vin grunted in acknowledgement but, head still bent, waited for Ezra to actually ask a question. "Is this an activity you discovered of your own accord? Or was there perhaps a time when it became an unexpected necessity?"

"Learned some when I was with the Kiowa, they thought it was useful. Was still a little thing, though, so Tauh-." Vin stopped, "We gonna bet or not?"

Knowing that he had inadvertently touched on a more delicate matter than he had meant to, Ezra simply nodded. "Of course. Ah bet two pieces of jerky."

Vin glanced down at his hand, considering for a second, and then said, "Call," flicking two pieces down onto the handkerchief.

"Ah see that your game style becomes slightly more risky when we are playing for the like of jerky, Mistah Tannah."

Vin raised an eyebrow at him, "Ain't much of a game if yer the only one playin'."

"Does that mean you would have folded if our number were greatah?" Ezra grinned predatorily as Vin rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer.

"Need one card." Vin started the discard pile not to far from the rest of the deck on the handkerchief, Ezra handing him one without bothering with the fanfare of picking it up.

"Ah need one as well." Exchanging the defunct card for a new selection, he wasn't particularly impressed with what Lady Luck handed him, but he never had trusted as much in her as others thought. He grinned at Vin again, just for recreation. Vin smiled at him and sorted through his cards.

Frustrating man.

Vin laid down a single piece of jerky, not even bothering to call his bet, and Ezra tossed in three, saying, "Ah see your bet and raise two."

"I'm eatin' my winnin's," Vin announced, as he tossed in two to call Ezra's raise.

A bit thrown despite himself, Ezra asked, "And how will we play another hand, Mistah Tannah?"

Vin tossed a look around the cave, then offered, "We could break a stick up, if'n I win it all."

"If it were anyone but you Ah'd be surprised by an attempt at eating such a large quantity of jerky in one sitting, yet such a declaration rings true."

"Jerky's good. Reckon maybe I could spare a piece or two for ya."

"Don't perish on mah account." Vin snorted, his look at Ezra more than making clear he needn't fear that.

Laying his cards in front of him with a flourish, Ezra declared, "Two pair, queen high."

Vin flipped his over with a casual, "You win," then started munching on the jerky that was still on his plate as Ezra scooped up his hand, pair of tens first, and added it to his own, automatically beginning to shuffle the cards when he had gathered them all.

"Mistah Tannah, you are eating your currency." Ezra frowned, the game certainly hadn't taken up the hour or more they had to wait before they would have dry passage home and while he supposed they could use broken kindling, at least the jerky had the advantage of being something one could actually want.

Popping another piece of jerky in his mouth, Vin shrugged. "Yup. Wanna play 'gain?"

Rolling his eyes, Ezra didn't answer other than to begin to deal.

*M7*M7*

Bouncing as he walked, his excitement palpable to the grinning man in front of him, JD followed Josiah to the back of the church, the running commentary flowing from the excited youth getting a chuckle from the Preacher. "'Course I won't tell-who's the surprise for? Ezra? Nathan? Vin? C-"

Before he could list the entire rest of the seven, and possibly the entire town, Josiah cut him off as he paused in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder, "If you'd slow down you'd know that you'd already guessed right." JD grinned sheepishly at him, but after a second his eyes were sliding to see around Josiah and whatever delights he was imagining on the other side. Taking pity on him, Josiah stepped forward into the room until JD had enough space to follow after him.

"Oh, that's really nice, Josiah! What is it?" Not sure if he should take JD's first comment seriously after his second, Josiah looked at his youngest brother, a little miffed, and then rolled his eyes when he saw the boy was completely in earnest. "Is it a chair? No, it'll be too big put together for that...a bookcase?" Josiah snorted at JD once more asking questions faster than he could answer them, but before he could say anything the boy had wandered over to the headboard, and said, "Oh, it's a bed!"

"You know, I would have told you that after the first question if you'd let me, son." Josiah moved over to where he had a plane waiting as well as a bucket of stain, two paint brushes and an old sheet from when he'd pulled everything inside when the sky started to threaten.

JD moved over from the headboard to examine a leg with a large knothole in it like it held the secrets to the universe. Looking up after his fingers had ran over and examined every inch of the knothole and surrounding wood, he asked, again, "C'mon, who's it for Josiah? You said I already guessed, so it has to be Vin, Nathan, or Ezra." JD waited for all of two seconds as Josiah straightened up with his armload, then almost exactly as he opened his mouth, he went on, "And Ezra already has a big fancy bed, so it can't be for him, and Vin sleeps in his wagon, so if it were a new tick it could be for him, but he couldn't fit even a small bed like this one in there-so it's for Nathan!" JD beamed like he'd won a prize while Josiah wondered if he was ever going to get to talk again. He was starting to get convinced that if he opened his mouth JD would start speaking exactly then.

Stepping over to his brother, Josiah held out the can of stain for him to take and opened his mouth to ask JD if he was going to answer every question he asked tonight himself. JD took the stain absentmindedly as he started to jabber, "I'm right, right? I gotta be, right, 'Siah?"

Half laughing and half growling in exasperation, Josiah barked out, "JD!", just loud enough to startle the boy into stopping. "I swear, if that can of stain were open I'd be tempted to seal your lips shut."

Quickly moving the can behind his back, JD shook his head, opened his mouth, closed it, and stepped back, all while looking comically miserable. Josiah chuckled, "If you can hush for just a few seconds, there won't be any need for excessive measures, and I'll tell you all about Nathan's bed."

Nodding furiously, JD took another step back, keeping the can behind him.

"Now I'm sure you've noticed that our brother generally sleeps on the floor or that rickety chair whenever he's got a patient."

JD nodded, but broke in, "Unless you make him go lay down in your room, 'Siah."

Josiah continued with his own nod of acknowledgement, "and I decided it was high time we rectified that. Even with cleaning the linens and airing out the tick, I don't think it's the healthiest for him to be sleeping in a bed that people have had fevers and diseases and Lord knows what."

Wrinkling his nose, JD agreed, "Nate deserves a new one."

"He certainly does-I think Ezra might have the best idea where to get a good one that won't break the bank." JD's forehead wrinkled to match his nose at that and Josiah spared a moment to wonder why as he sat the paintbrush on the shelf, grabbing a tin of pumice rubbing powder in its place. "It's still going to be awhile before the bed itself is finished, I need to finish planing the footboard and a few other pieces, and everything will need another coat or two of varnish after the first one has had time to cure."

Sounding a bit like he was giving a salesman's spiel, JD eagerly announced, "Nate's bed will be as fancy as Ezra's, I bet-Ezra says his connections can get him the best deal guaranteed, on anything we want, no question about it-that's why he was all grumpy when Mary got the new parts for the printing press from the company that made it, not his cousin. He said he could get the same thing for half the cost, but Mary said she wanted parts made by the same people who made the original ones."

More like no questions asked, Josiah thought, frowning. Then he scolded himself, because Ezra's childhood of constant traveling could mean he knew someone who was able to get a legitimate deal on the parts.

It could just as easily mean he had a line on stolen printing press parts for some obscure reason. That boy…

And why hadn't he heard about any of this before? From Mary at least. Josiah began to wonder if too much time had been devoted to other pursuits besides this new family he had been blessed with. Though, for the life of him he couldn't think of one that wasn't necessary. He'd talk to the boy after dinner, and supposed perhaps he should ask Gloria for help in ordering a new mattress out of one of her catalogs depending on how it went.

He pointed to the container in JD's hand, "I never put it away after I brought it in last week, and if today weren't so wet, we'd haul some of this outside and work on that. That's what gave that leg you were admiring that nice hint of red to it. But," he plucked the stain out of JD's hands and replaced it with the tin, "instead you can buff some of the pieces that have had time to cure, and I'll finish the footboard. You have to varnish and polish several times, so I may need your help again, if you're willing. By the time we're finished with today's work I have a feeling we'll both be hungry."

JD's face brightened at the mention of food, and for a second Josiah thought he might lose his helper quicker than he thought. "Inez said she's making something special tonight that's good to eat when it's cold and wet, she didn't say what, but she said it has fried potatoes and she knows we'll all like it-but not to be late 'cause she can't save plates forever."

Josiah chuckled, "While I'll admit I never turn down a fried potato, and I promise we'll head over by suppertime."

"Boy," JD said, opening the tin of rubbing powder to inspect the contents, "I hope Vin and Ezra get back in time too."

Josiah's head went up from where he'd started examining the pieces, finding one with a nice flat surface for JD to start with, "Back? What do you mean back? They can't have gone somewhere in the middle of this storm?" He'd be wringing the necks of the two fools and whoever had let them go if that was the case. He really had been spending too much time in this church.

"They were already gone when it started storming." JD's voice was puzzled as he lifted his head from where his fingers had been drawing patterns in the fine dust, "They left a little after ten, to go fishing."

Turning to retrieve a rag stuffed with cotton from a small basket on the shelf, Josiah handed it to JD, exchanging it for the pumice jar, wondering how he'd gone nearly a whole day without realizing two of their youngest were gone. Passing over the jar of oil and an empty tin for mixing, he hoped they had found someplace dry enough to wait out the storm. It had been raining for hours now, and the wind blowing so it made the old church creak and groan. A body could get mighty cold from just the wind even if they'd found someplace dry.

"Ya didn't know, 'Siah?" JD asked, studying the oil as it sloshed in the jar, the boy having dumped the rest of his armload on the table.

"No, I have been fairly busy today, caught up in working on Nathan's bed. Once the rain started, it seemed the best idea to stay put and keep at it." Josiah began moving the wooden pieces around in the small space, selecting a long side piece for JD to work on, and one of the legs that wasn't as smooth as he liked for himself.

"Nathan said they were fine, even though I wanted to go looking for them; it's been raining forever, 'Siah, but Nate said no and there was nothing to do over there and then I came here. And what do I do with all this stuff?" Opening the container Josiah had just handed him, he brought it to his nose and immediately pulled his head back, nose wrinkling. "That smells awful, 'Siah!"

Chuckling once more, Josiah took the container, setting it on the narrow table under the shelf.

"It is an acquired smell, but by the time the wood cures you won't be able to smell it at all. Set those here as well, JD." JD did so, with a discreet eye roll that Josiah thought was for the fact that he'd handed him everything just to take it away again, but there was a very simple reason for that. If JD didn't get a chance to examine every piece he would never be able to listen to the directions without looking them over crook and cranny. Which would just mean Josiah would have to repeat them all again. "Nathan's right, I'm sure they're fine, and going looking in the storm would have just wound up with you wet and cold."

JD nodded reluctantly and true to form, once his hands were free JD reached for the long sideboard Josiah had propped against the table, "This is the one you're gonna have me polish, 'Siah?"

"Yes, it is. First things first, when you're using something like pumice to polish you always have to use an oil, we're using linseed oil. Some people dip the cloth in oil and then in the pumice, but I always mix the two together."

JD nodded, piping up, "That sounds easier than getting the right amount on the rag everytime."

"Mmmhmm. Now, you can work on the table, or I have an old sheet I spread out when I do floor work." JD looked at the table and then at the floor and then shrugged.

"I don't care. What are you going to work on?"

"I think I'll start here," Josiah answered, indicating a bed leg to his right. Nodding, JD looked from the table to the floor and then grinned up at Josiah.

"The floor!" he said, hefting the sideboard under his arm to take the few steps over to the bit of open floor space so the board swung out from behind the youth, Josiah having to jump back to avoid an unpleasant collision.

"JD!" Josiah shouted in surprise. Turning quickly at the sound, JD was halted by the Preacher's large hand grabbing the end of the board before it took the entire shelf of supplies down.

"What, 'Siah….Oh…" JD trailed off looking sheepish, as he realized what had happened. "Sorry."

"Yes." Josiah agreed with the boy's 'Oh' and kept his hand on the long wood piece, pulling it back towards him. "Sit down John Daniel, and let's see if we can get you settled without any more near disasters."

Nodding, JD dropped to the ground without another word. Fighting to not roll his eyes heavenward, Josiah set the sideboard down and moved to the shelf once more.

Once he'd spread the large sheet over the floor space, JD scooting backwards to let it settle, Josiah raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Hard to work without your materials." With a grin, JD scrambled back to his feet and grabbed as much as he could carry, snagging everything but the polishing cloth and settling down again. Josiah, moving to grab his plane, tossed it at him and grinned when the boy caught it without a word of warning. "Once we're comfortable, I'll tell you about the summer I spent in Brazil."

Arranging his stool and the tall crate he was using as a table, Josiah explained, "Pour about a knuckle deep of oil in the tin and then scoop in some pumice powder, a good handful or so, and stir it together. Show it to me when you're done and I'll see if you need more of either."

"What am I supposed to stir it with?" JD, who had started pouring and scooping as the instructions were given, cocked his head to the side as he peered dubiously at the mixture in the can, clearly wondering if the answer was going to be 'your fingers'. Josiah frowned as he realized he hadn't given him anything, but, sitting himself down on his stool, he merely pointed at the shelf and the table and said,

"See if you can find a paint stick or something like that to use-none of my tools, son." The oil wouldn't hurt them, but he didn't want to clean dried pumice dust off it later.

Setting the leg across the top of the crate, he slid the box forward until he could clamp it in place with his knees as he waited for JD to find the necessary item. Positioning the leg where wanted it Josiah began the slow and steady work of shaving off layers of wood thinner than an apple peel, wanting the wood to feel as butter smooth as he could get it. When JD was settled and stirring, Josiah carried on, "Once your mixture is ready you rub it into the wood going along with the grain-going against the grain can damage the wood, and you don't want to rub in circles. Not too hard or too long in anyone place, either."

JD nodded in understanding, leaning over to show Josiah the oil mixture and getting an approving nod. "'Can you tell me about Brazil now, 'Siah?"

The preacher grinned as he dragged the plane slowly up the wood, "Ah, Brazil. Must have been thirty years ago now…"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- Hey everybody! We're back again with another chapter, the boys are beginning to dry out finally and were eager for us to share some more with you. They've made it back to Four Corners, but the night isn't over yet. We hope you enjoy this second to last installment of this joint project, thank you to all who read it and especially the reviewers! Reviews make the authors dance in joy. This probably isn't nearly as graceful or cool looking as we wish, but still, the dancing is fun ;)

Behold before you, the wonders of a fussing Nathan, a cranky Ezra, and a running at the mouth Buck, all for your reading pleasure:

*.*.*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*

Sliding a glance at Ezra, the younger boy's exhaustion showing in how he leaned forward in the saddle, Vin tugged the brim of his hat down in an attempt to ignore the soft sprinkles that had begun falling a few moments before. "Mr. Tanner, I am once again getting mildly drenched. Do you have any idea on an arrival time into our fair town?"

"'Bout 20 minutes."

Ezra sighed, Vin not sure if he was just acting or it it was a real one. He tightened his hands on Peso's reins as the horse tossed his head in annoyance. "We're trying to get ya home, ya mule. Keep that up an' we'll end up in a gully somewhere!" Vin growled the words at the obstinate horse as the two fought a small tug of war over their direction of travel. "See there, ya can just see the edge of the livery if yer looking close," he added, once he had the horse back on track. He glanced at Ezra again, somewhat surprised the mouthy gambler hadn't had a snappy comeback. Or at least said something rude about his horse. Like Chaucer was so well behaved. Everyone knew it was him who'd eaten all the carrots out of Mrs. Potter's garden, whatever Ezra said.

Still they'd managed to finish out the time in the cave, guiding the horse's down that damn mud pit of a hill and now most of the ride home without killing each other. Which felt pretty lucky after their ride to the cave. Coulda been worse. Peso shook his head, not hard enough to really be fighting him again, just enough to almost jerk the reins. His way of sulking. If Vin wasn't just as mud splattered and miserable as the horse he might have felt more for the cranky creature.

Wasn't more than five minutes later that Ezra, barely bothering to turn his head, all but whined, "Surely it has been twenty minutes by now." Vin cast him a dark look that he paid no attention to.

"Ain't even been ten. Ain't no wonder you're always late if that's how you keep time." That got Ezra looking at him with a glare, but this time it was Vin who paid him no mind. Didn't take him long to give up, looking forward again with a sigh.

Watching his brother for a moment, he and the fancy beast he called a horse all but dragging, Vin rolled his shoulders, wincing just a tad when his back twinged. He was gonna feel that landing for a day or two. Vin sure didn't want Nate getting his eyes on the bruise he was sure was forming, either. Seeing the roofline of the town coming into view proper now, Vin pulled the reins to the side, guiding the horse around the back so they could at least get to the livery and get Peso and Chaucer settled before they had five worried brothers fussing at them. Vin could practically already here Nathan's clucking. Going on like one of them was gonna melt. Another minute of the horses drudging through wet earth and Vin, certain Peso knew the path he wanted him to take now gave him his head and turned to Ezra.

"Give Chaucer his head, Ez. He knows where he is now." Vin's voice from somewhere off to his right had Ezra startling the tiniest bit and he shifted in the saddle, looking over his shoulder at Vin. He'd been deep enough in his internal rant about the misery this day had inflicted on them that it took him a moment to process the meaning. Then he nodded, slackening his hold on the reins. His horse continued plodding on, Chaucer's slightly raised head showing that he not only knew where he was, but was close enough to the livery and the stall that awaited him to smell it even through the now heavy mist that was filling the air. It wasn't worse than the light rain, but it hung in the air in a way you couldn't shelter from. Ezra couldn't hide a little grin when Peso picked up his pace, moving past Chaucer in his hurry. That mule of Vin's really did hate the mud. When Chaucer immediately moved into a trot Ezra was unsure if it was due to the excitement of being home, or if the horse just didn't favor being left behind by Vin's pigheaded mount.

As the side of the livery came into view, Chaucer let out a whinny of relief, Peso sounding off with his pampered herd mate in agreement, and there were answering calls from inside the building.

Pulling Peso to a stop, Vin slid off, the horse bumping at his shoulder. Vin figured Peso wanted him to hurry, and idly bumping him back, he headed in, ears automatically listening for Ezra to follow.

*M7*M7*

"I'm telling ya, Miss Daisy Ann loved me, just couldn't get enough." Buck tipped back in the chair, nodding in satisfaction, as a snort left Chris.

"Daisy Ann Broomfield was a preacher's daughter who didn't know any better, Buck." Chris spoke softly, almost dryly and Nathan looked up from the textbook he had been trying to read since they'd gotten to the saloon with a groan.

"I've heard enough of your tall tales, Buck. Just yesterday it was Polly and Becky...still don't believe any woman would do that with you. And quit rocking that chair! No wonder I can't get the younger boys to sit right." A grin split Buck's face, as he simply waved off Nathan's concern.

"Yeah, Polly and Becky. A Harvey girl and a sweet little thing who worked at her papa's store. Now that takes me back," Buck crowed, "Hell, couldn'ta been any older than you, Nathan, when I met Miss Becky."

"Here we go again..." Buck swung his feet up onto the chair next to him while he was still rocking back on his, taking no more notice of Nathan's muttered, "Gonna break your fool neck," than he had his first comment as he sighed in remembered pleasure.

"There was a little lake outside of town there, and on Friday nights me and Becky used to meet, go for a swim..." He winked outrageously at his brothers, leaving no doubt just what type of swimming it had been. Nathan might act like he didn't want to hear it, but Buck was certain the boy was protesting a bit too much. He

could give him some ideas on how to romance Miss Rain…"Really pretty on full moon nights, and Miss Becky thought I was sure something."

Chris rolled his eyes, "She thought you were something, alright-until you got caught with Addie Jacobs in her aunt's root cellar." Buck scowled at Chris. That was not the part of that particular adventure he wanted to remember, thank you very much. Miss Becky had known he'd be moving on soon, how was he supposed to know the girl would be so particular about what he did until then? Deciding to ignore Chris, and the twinge of guilt his words had brought, he reached for his beer without unbalancing his chair, taking a slow swig before launching back into his story.

"We'd swim around, looking up at the moon and the stars and then, well, with all that cold water we'd have to warm ourselves up a little-"

"He really doesn't care if anybody wants to hear it or not, does he?" Nathan asked Chris with a small shake of his head, Buck grinning a little at the fond resignation in the healer's voice.

"Not a bit," Chris affirmed as he headed towards the bar, mug clasped in his hand.

"Well, if you don't want to hear about midnight swims-though I reckon a certain young lady might think it's just as romantic as Becky did-I could always tell you fellas about Miss Polly, my Harvey girl. Met her when she was on her way to her first job. Looked right cute in that black dress and apron she had to wear, and wasn't any too shy about joining me-"

With a bit of a huff, Nathan pushed back his chair, muttering, "I've heard enough to know where this story is going, and I don't need to hear no more. They all end the same way." He reached for his textbook, but before he could pick it up, Buck had reached over and tapped the cover.

"There ain't nothing in this book that I can't tell ya better," Buck offered, wiggling his eyebrows at his brother.

"Buck, this book is on liver complaints." Nathan said dryly. Buck heard the returning Chris let out a snort, and cracked a smile himself.

Sliding his feet to the floor and dropping the chair back on all fours at almost the same time, Buck pushed his beer to one side and leaned towards Nathan, "C'mon Doc, you can tell Ol' Buck, you sure you don't want some of my expert woman advice?"

"Expert, huh? I don't need that kind of advice!" Nathan exclaimed with a roll of his eyes, grabbing his book off the table as he got to his feet, "I'm going back to the clinic, I'll see...you…" Nathan trailed off for a moment, his silence getting Buck to crane his head the direction Nathan was looking, eyes widening at what he saw. "Vin? Ezra?" The two looked like they'd gone a few rounds with the storm and lost, and sometime during the fight they'd apparently been dunked in a mud puddle.

"Despite our appearances we are no worse for wear," Ezra said, words thoroughly unconvincing when they were coming out of a face that looked like that, "And appearances are a matter Ah intend to immediately put to rights for mah own personage." Vin, meanwhile, had eyes on the bar, but with Nathan shaking his head like that Buck knew that neither of them were getting very far. Still he straightened up in his chair, turning to get a straight view of the coming showdown. He heard Chris pull himself to his feet, standing by his chair and observing, a quick glance to the side showed that his eyes were scanning the boys up and down as thoroughly as Nathan's.

"What happened to you now? Uhnt-uh," Nathan said turning to a Vin who had already made it halfway to the bar, "You don't need a drink until after you let me look you over."

As Buck watched, Ezra used this distraction to try and sneak around the table next to theirs, cutting around to get to the stairs. Clearing his throat a little first, Buck let out a, "Whoa there, Hoss, where do you think you're gettin' off to?"

Shooting him a look of both annoyance and exhaustion, Ezra sighed and drawled out, "To mah living quarters to acquire clothes that are not both excessively damp and weighed down by silt and sludge. Surely Mistah Jackson's attentions can wait until after that feat has been achieved?"

Buck figured a dry set of clothes would be a good idea, but he didn't trust either of those boys to be fine just because they said they were. "Reckon that's something you're going to have to fight with Nathan over, not me." He nodded to where the healer was approaching Ezra, looking annoyed and worried at the same time. Poor Nate, with all of them to run herd on he reckoned that he looked like that more than his fair share.

Ezra took a step back as the healer got within an arm's length, though where he thought he was going to go Buck didn't know. "Ah assure you, Ah am well enough to, at the very least, change mah attire before being accosted in the saloon!"

Pausing in his approach, Nathan eyed the muddy and damp gambler with a keen gaze. "You sure you ain't bleeding somewhere? No lies now."

"Mr. Jackson, Ah am cold, utterly soaked and tired, but Ah swear to you, Ah am not grievously injured." Grinning a bit, because he had a feeling Ezra was about to get his wish, Buck cast a glance at the bar, where Vin was downing himself a bit more than a shot of the old snake poison with Chris keeping an eye on him.

"Alright then, dry clothes and rest is probably the best thing for you-I'm gonna come check on you in a little while, don't be coming back down here trying to play a card game or nothing like that."

Already heading for the stairs, Ezra called back, "Truly, you should be sainted, Nathan."

Buck snorted, and looking amused, Nathan said, "Neither of us are Catholic, Ezra," but the gambler was already climbing to his room and couldn't hear.

Vin set the glass on the bar top and glanced at Chris, finally relaxed, mouth quirking with a tiny grin. "Ya gonna send me to my room too, Cowboy?"

Chris straightened from where he'd be leaning on the bar a bit, and nodded once. "You're soaked through. Yeah. Go to your room. Dry off."

Stiffening slightly at the order in Chris's voice, Vin could only hold the man in black's gaze for a moment, before sagging a bit, exhaustion taking over his body. "Think I will." he agreed, pushing the glass away and straightening slightly, before turning away from the bar and heading to the batwing doors.

"I'll be by to check on you after Ezra." Nathan called to the tracker's retreating form.

*M7*M7*M7*M7

A much dryer Ezra did his best not to roll his eyes as Nathan fussed about him getting tea steeping and insisting that if he wouldn't get in bed he could at least have a blanket with a hot water bottle on top of it while he sat in his chair. Ezra wasn't sure if the healer hadn't had many to practice his craft on lately, or if he would ordinarily raise such a fuss over a bit of damp and cold.

That was Ezra's job, but it was made rather difficult by the knowledge that complaining at the moment would bring more teas and more blankets. Perhaps the stack would grow so high Ezra would be crushed under the weight. Nathan, bless him, would be so struck with grief-

"Ezra, are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

"Of course." Ezra blinked guilelessly up at Nathan, who snorted lightly and shook his head.

"Yeah? How long is that tea supposed to steep before ya drink it?"

"No longer than ten minutes." Ezra knew the smell of this particular ditch water brew, it was one Nathan said honey or whiskey would ruin. He was fully convinced this was an utter falsehood. But Nathan, who often preferred his patients fuzzily drunk when injured, held the opposite belief about illness.

"Lucky guess," Nathan muttered, though Ezra heard the layer of amusement in his voice and allowed himself to smirk slightly. "Alright then, I'm going to go check on Vin. Josiah'll bring you up some supper soon, you stay under that blanket, you hear? And drink all that tea-you pour it in your chamber pot, I'm gonna know." Ezra held back a comment on Nathan possibly inspecting the contents of his chamber pot, and how he was perhaps taking his duties too seriously on the grounds that he could see that leading to a swat upside the head. But it was difficult.

"Yes, Ah shall drink your medieval concoction as otherwise apparently the previous exposure to rain might strike me down in my tender years." Nathan gave him a look, then shook his head while patting his knee just firmly enough to be a warning.

"Night, Ezra."

"Goodnight, Mr. Jackson." The moment Nathan closed the door behind him the blanket was dumped unceremoniously to the floor and Ezra moved to the dresser to retrieve the half opened, partially unwrapped box. He looked around his room, calculating the best hiding spot for the crate of cologne. Smiling, he stepped to the side of his bed, set it on the floor, and shoved it under with one good push. He had no desire to answer questions tonight. Nathan hadn't noticed it, or perhaps thought Ezra regularly received crates with stamps declaring they had been imported from France-likely fake, knowing his cousin-as yet another of the 'unnecessary luxuries' the man occasionally lectured him on. Josiah on the other hand, would know that he certainly did not, and as Ezra wasn't up for one of the preacher's inquisitions out of sight was out of mind. Nodding in satisfaction that without being on the floor there'd be no way to see the crate, he headed to his bedside table. The little drawer squeaked as it always did, Ezra careful not to pull it out too far or it'd get stuck, and he gently took Canterbury Tales from it's resting spot.

Sitting down in the chair a moment later and pulling the blanket back over his knees, he wondered if his all knowing brother would know if he dumped the tea out the window. He looked towards the door a moment later, setting the open book in his lap as he heard the unmistakable sound of Josiah coming down the hall. A little sooner than he had expected. The blanket was pulled up further, Ezra reaching for the fallen water bottle and replacing it right as Josiah's knock sounded on the door. Taking a moment to settle deeper into the chair and close the book, a finger in to mark his place, Ezra called out, "You may enter."


End file.
